You Do Now
by daffodil729
Summary: After returning to Hawaii following his father's death, the first month takes a toll on Commander Steve McGarrett.


Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters or catchphrases are not owned by me.

~Early in Season One~

Commander Steve McGarrett felt awful. He knew he'd pushed his body too far over the last month. He'd lost his best friend in a mission gone awry, then listened to his father be murdered over the phone. He'd made the long, torturous flight home wearing his officer's uniform, making small talk with the pilot and trying to quell the sadness and guilt he felt. When he arrived in Hawaii, he'd immediately been approached by the governor with a job offer that he didn't even understand, let alone want. Alone, he handled the funeral arrangements. The service was well attended, and he supposed that was a good thing. It appeared that a lot of people loved the man that he barely knew anymore. He felt lost in the sea of people but managed to nod and smile and speak at all the right times. Or at least he guessed he did. No one called him on it anyway.

Meeting Danny Williams had turned out to be a good thing. He knew he may have gone about it the wrong way. By nature, he was pushy. His position in the Navy had only solidified and increased that trait. He was used to people listening to him and he was used to giving orders…and having them followed. Danny was different than the men under his command. They had to follow orders. Danny…didn't. Not really. He challenged Steve and questioned him at times. It was both refreshing and frustrating.

Accepting the governor's offer, he had put together the Five-0 taskforce and it was going well. They had solved some cases and had a few successes under their belts. It felt good. It wasn't like the SEAL team he was accustomed to leading, and it wasn't something he ever thought he would have been doing, but it was…good. The Navy had been his life and the switch to the reserves had been sudden and unexpected—very unexpected, according to his commanding officers, who were none too happy with his change of career and saw it as a waste of talent. After the death of Freddie and his father, though, everything felt different. Sometimes he wondered what he would have done if the governor hadn't offered him the position. Would he have returned to the Navy after leaving Freddie and burying his father? He didn't know.

He wasn't sleeping enough or eating enough, but he couldn't seem to make himself do more of either. It wasn't that he was making a choice not to eat; he just wasn't hungry. Steve had always been able to compartmentalize and lock things away in his mind, but he was struggling with the recent losses. Nightmares plagued his sleep. He was run down and exhausted, and that Friday afternoon it all caught up to him.

"You drive," he'd told Danny as they left the crime scene, holding out the keys to his partner. He was met with an incredulous look.

"What? Who are you and what have you done with Steve McGarrett?" Danny asked.

Steve had rolled his eyes but was grateful when Danny took the keys. He slumped in the passenger seat and leaned his head against the cool glass of the window.

"Hey," Danny said, softer this time. "You okay?"

"Mmhm," Steve mumbled. "Just tired."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Danny gave him a sideways glance. "I don't know that I believe you."

There was no reply. Steve was already asleep.

* * *

He hadn't felt well this morning and had continued to feel worse as the day went on. Aside from the nap in the car, he had pushed through. They wrapped their last case and he finished the mountain of paperwork that was necessary before finally heading home. The others were heading to Side Street for drinks, but—as he often did—he politely declined.

He opened the door to his father's house— _no, his house_ , he reminded himself—and sighed at the familiar smell. It smelled like home, but at the same time it didn't. What did home smell like to him? Was it a dorm at Annapolis? An aircraft carrier? The barracks? A makeshift tent in the middle of the desert?

He didn't know. Home was a foreign concept. He hadn't had a home in a long time. _How sad was that?_ he thought to himself. He shivered as a chill ran through his body. "Ugh," he couldn't keep himself from groaning. _What the hell have I caught?_ he wondered. _I never get sick._

He found a box of Kleenex, grabbed a bottle of water and a blanket, and headed for the couch. He was getting more congested by the minute, or at least it felt that way. His throat hurt, his nose was stuffy, his body ached, and he was _so freakin' tired._

He turned on the tv for the company. He pressed himself further into the couch and curled up, clutching his blanket as close as he could but still shivering. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt this alone before. Even though he had been on his own a long time, there was something about being sick that always made him feel lonely, and it seemed like this time was somehow even worse than the times before. He hadn't had anyone to care for him when he was sick since he was fifteen—a lifetime ago, it felt like. Early on, he'd learned that he had to tough out illnesses on his own. He made his own doctor's appointments, picked up his own prescriptions, and struggled through whatever it was. He never asked anyone for help, even though a few times he probably should have.

It would have been nice to have had a mom. Or someone. Anyone. Just like it would be nice to have someone right now.

A small sob caught in his throat and a single tear dripped down his face. _Stupid,_ he thought. _You are a grown man, a Navy SEAL for goodness sakes, and you're crying because you don't feel well and you're alone. Suck it up, buttercup. Figure out the problem, find a solution. Compartmentalize. You can do this._

But this time, he just _couldn't._ He felt so achy and feverish and _God, what was wrong with his throat?_ He tried to think, but the effort of it combined with his physical state was overwhelming. He didn't have a doctor in Hawaii. It was Friday evening. No one would be willing to see a new patient on a Friday evening. He could go to the infirmary on base, but he'd need to change into his uniform…and even the thought of trying to change clothes exhausted him. Maybe he could find an urgent care somewhere on the island? Maybe. That seemed like the most logical choice. Now all he had to do was get up, walk to his truck, and drive there. But, _damn it,_ he felt so bad he couldn't move.

He curled in tighter around himself. He felt weak and vulnerable and so very alone. He couldn't stop himself for quietly crying about how badly he felt, how much he missed his parents, how he ached over the loss of Freddie and for the baby who would never know her daddy, how much he just wanted someone to care about him, someone who cared enough to take care of him. Just for a little while, even. Just until he felt a little better. Just for once, all he wanted was to be taken care of.

Everyone he knew had _someone._ How did he get here? How had he worked so hard and accomplished so much and still didn't have a single person he could count on close by? Dead parents, a sister he hadn't spoken to for years, no other family to speak of. Sure, he had friends—lots of them, in fact, but none of them were in Hawaii. None of them could help him right now when he so desperately needed it. He was happy with the team he'd assembled, but it had only been a month. He wasn't sure they considered him a friend yet. Regardless, he would not be calling them.

No, he'd be fine on his own. He always had been.

After all, he didn't have a choice. He had no one.

For the first time since he was a child, Steve McGarrett cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Danny Williams was happier than he'd been in a long, long time. His job at HPD hadn't been going anywhere and every day was a struggle. He wasn't liked, definitely wasn't respected, and was just going through the motions.

And then Commander Steve McGarrett blew in like a hurricane or a tornado or some other unstoppable force of fury and nature. Without giving Danny a choice, he'd swept in and taken over his life—even going as far as to call Danny's boss to tell him Danny was no longer employed there and would be working for him. And that was that. There was no choice, no offer placed on the table to either be accepted or denied. No, he had been commandeered by this Navy SEAL turned task force leader…and it turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

He still wasn't completely happy in Hawaii; he didn't know if he ever would be. But it was tolerable now, and that was saying something. His new job brought him joy and purpose, and the team Steve had put together was second to none. Even after only a month, they worked together seamlessly and had formed friendships he had so desperately been missing.

His boss was less talkative than the other three but was beginning to come around. Danny couldn't imagine what Steve had been through. Losing his mom at such a young age, being shipped off to the Naval academy right after the funeral, losing men—including his best friend—in combat, hearing the gunshot that killed his father…

No wonder Steve looked wrecked. He was. He'd suffered more than a lot of people do in a lifetime. Over the last week or so, the dark smudges under his eyes had gotten darker and his complexion had become pale. Danny doubted he was sleeping at all. After Steve had willingly given up the keys today and fallen asleep not two minutes later, he had a feeling something was wrong.

Throughout the day Danny had noticed his partner looked more haggard. He tapped on the office door. "Hey," he said. "Kono, Chin, and I are going to go to Side Street for wings and beer. You want to come?"

"No thanks," Steve replied, trying to give a smile. "I'm just going to finish up here and head home."

"Okay," Danny said hesitantly. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where we'll be. See you on Monday, buddy."

"Bye, Danno," Steve replied, turning his attention back to the stack of paperwork on his desk. Danny knew there was no arguing with him. He cast one last glance toward his partner before heading out the door.

* * *

At Side Street, Danny was distracted.

"What's up, brah?" Chin asked him, noticing the difference in the detective.

"Do you think Steve's okay?"

Chin shrugged. "He has had a hell of a month. I think he's exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. He has no parents, Danny. He heard his dad die. I can't imagine what that must feel like," Chin shook his head slowly. "From what I understand, he was coming off a pretty tough mission when it happened, too."

"I know," Danny said sadly. "I wish there was something we could do."

Kono said softly, "I don't think he's sleeping much at all. He didn't seem to feel well today either."

"I know." Danny couldn't hide the worry in his voice. "I'm going to go check on him after we leave here. Maybe take him some dinner, see how he is."

* * *

Danny knocked hesitantly, quietly, on the door. When he didn't get an answer, he peeked in the bay window on the front of the porch and was surprised when his eyes landed on Steve on the couch. Not waiting another minute, Danny retrieved the hidden key. He knew where it was because of the investigation. He entered the house almost silently. If Steve was actually sleeping, he didn't want to wake him.

Sensing someone was near, Steve startled and opened his bleary eyes.

"Hey," the blonde detective said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"'S okay," he mumbled, wincing at the pain in his throat. "Wha' you doin' here?"

"I wanted to check on you, make sure you were doing okay. You've had a rough go of it lately. The door was locked and you weren't answering, so I used the hidden key." He paused. "I hope that was okay."

Steve gave a nod but didn't comment and closed his eyes again.

Danny took a minute to really look at his partner. Steve looked worse than he had when he'd left work. He was pale and sweaty, with red rimmed eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Hey, buddy," Danny said carefully, using the voice he only reserved for Grace. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I don' feel good," Steve whispered. He hated Danny was seeing him like this—he didn't really do weak and vulnerable all that well—but he was too miserable to care. If he was honest with himself, he was also grateful and relieved to have someone with him. He knew Danny probably wouldn't stay long, but, for right now, he had someone.

"Okay," Danny said. "Can you tell me what hurts?" He was still using his Grace voice. He felt this situation called for it.

"Throat—really bad. Head, stomach, ears, nose is stuffy." He was still whispering. He pulled the blanket tighter, shivering. "Whole body aches."

Danny nodded. "You don't have a doctor here, right?" When Steve shook his head, Danny continued. "All right. I'm going to call mine, and then we'll go from there, okay? I don't know if they can get you in or not but it's worth a shot."

Steve nodded, drifting off to sleep again. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Danny made the phone call quickly, hoping to get a real person instead of the answering service. It was a small family practice, unaffiliated with larger healthcare corporations and very focused on patient care and relationships. That's what Danny liked about the practice, and that's he was counting on. The receptionist had gone for the day, but Teresa—Dr. Lee's nurse—answered on the second ring. Unbelievably relieved, Danny explained the situation to her. He felt like he may have a winning chance as he dropped words like _decorated Navy SEAL, governor's task force,_ and _John McGarrett's son._ Whatever he said must have worked, though, because Teresa spoke with Dr. Lee who kindly agreed to stay at the office until the men arrived.

"Hey," Danny said quietly, shaking Steve's shoulder. He frowned as he realized how hot his partner felt. Steve blinked, waking slowly.

"Good news," Danny said. "Dr. Lee is going to see you. We need to get you up and moving, okay?"

"Okay," Steve whispered. He had put on sweats and a t-shirt when he got home. "I guess I should go change." He looked miserable at the thought of the effort it would take to change clothes again.

Danny shook his head. "No, babe, you're good. Do you need anything from upstairs?"

Steve had sat up and was holding his head in his hands. "I'll get it."

"No offense, man, and I know you're a SEAL and all, but I'm pretty sure those stairs would kick your ass right now. I can just run up and grab whatever you need. No big deal."

Danny had a point. Sighing, Steve conceded.

"My wallet and keys are on the dresser. Would you mind grabbing a hoodie from my closet?"

"Sure thing."

Danny came back downstairs and gave the items to Steve. He pulled on his hoodie and stuffed his wallet and phone in the pocket. "Can you give me the address for the GPS?" he asked Danny.

Danny looked confused by the question. "No. I know exactly where it is, Steve."

Steve frowned at Danny. "But Idon't."

"Ohh." Realization dawned on Danny. Steve was expecting to go by himself. "Buddy, no. You don't have to go by yourself."

"I can. It's fine. I'm sure you have stuff to do," Steve said hoarsely. He widened his eyes as a thought came to him. "It's Friday. You shouldn't be here. You have Grace."

"Nope, not this weekend. And I don't have anything at all to do. I'm pretty sure, from looking at you, you don't feel well enough to drive. Just let me help you out, okay?" He patted Steve's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered, looking down.

"No problem, man," Danny patted him. "Glad to do it. Let's go get you feeling better."

* * *

The ride to the doctor's office was quiet. Steve had slipped off his flip flops and pulled his feet onto the seat, curled into a ball, and was resting his head on his knees.

"Is that even comfortable?" Danny asked, casting a sideways glance at his partner.

"Mmhm," Steve mumbled.

"When did you start feeling bad?"

Steve gave a hoarse huff of a laugh. "When was the last time I felt good?" He sighed. "But this all just started today."

Steve's candid admission surprised Danny. He needed to start paying more attention to his partner, he thought. Sure, he knew his partner had been going through some stuff—a lot of stuff—but he hadn't realized Steve was feeling so bad.

"You should have told someone. If I hadn't shown up, would you have called me? Or Chin or Kono?"

"Probably not," Steve admitted, giving a small shrug.

Danny had already figured that. "Why?"

Steve shrugged. "Didn't want to bother anyone."

"You wouldn't have been a bother, Steve. You have a team. Haven't we said we're ohana, or whatever that word is? A family? You're not a bother to family just because you ask for a little help. That's what a family is for, what friends are for—so you don't have to do life alone—"

"I'm used to taking care of myself, Danny. 'M fine."

"Oh, sure," Danny huffed, rolling his eyes. "I hate to tell you, but I have eyes. And from what I can see, you're all kinds of miserable already and seem to be getting sicker by the minute. So, _fine_ , you are not, my friend."

Steve shrugged, not wanting to talk anymore. He really didn't feel well. Luckily, Danny pulled into the doctor's office parking lot a minute later.

"Just so you know, this conversation isn't over," Danny said. "Not by a long shot."

* * *

Getting out of the car, Steve stumbled. Danny caught him by the elbow. Steve leaned into him, allowing Danny to take some of his weight. Danny was surprised by how weak his partner was, as well as the fact that the SEAL was actually accepting help from Danny. Danny figured he must be feeling _really_ bad to allow that to happen.

"Oh my," Teresa said softly as she opened the door for them. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she surveyed the obviously sick man. "Hi, Danny. And you must be Steve?"

"Yes, ma'am," he whispered. Even as sick as he was, Teresa couldn't deny that he was a very attractive man. And with manners to boot. She wondered if he was seeing anyone. She had a niece—

His harsh coughing interrupted her thoughts. "Oh sweetie. You don't feel well at all, do you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Let's get you to a room."

Teresa clicked her tongue as she read the thermometer. "Sweetie, how long have you been feeling so bad?"

"Not long. Just today really."

"Well, you've certainly picked up something terrible. When was the last time you took ibuprofen or acetaminophen?"

"Around 4?"

"He's running a fever of 102.9," Teresa said to Dr. Lee. "And his blood pressure is a bit too low."

Dr. Lee began his exam, talking softly to Steve. "What's your rank, son? I served in the Navy as well."

"Lieutenant Commander, sir," Steve said hoarsely.

"Well, I should be saying 'sir' to you then," Dr. Lee chuckled. "I was only a midshipman."

Steve gave a slight smile and shook his head. "Not today. Today, you definitely outrank me if you can make me feel better."

Dr. Lee chuckled. "Alright then. Let's see what we can do." He checked the lymph nodes on the sides of Steve's neck. Steve flinched as he did. "Throat's hurting bad, is it?"

"Yes, sir. Everything hurts, but my throat's the worst."

Dr. Lee nodded and peered into Steve's mouth. "Ah, yes. There's one of our problems. That, son, is a nasty case of strep throat. Let's see what else we've got going on."

Dr. Lee continued his exam, diagnosing an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection. He shook his head. "You've done a number on yourself, son. Add dehydration and exhaustion to that list and you're lucky you didn't end up in the hospital. If you don't take care of yourself, you may still end up there. I'm going to give you an IV of fluids and antibiotics." He inserted the IV, then flipped off the light. "Just rest while it runs, then you can go home and go to bed."

Steve nodded tiredly, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Danny," Dr. Lee motioned to the hallway.

Danny joined him. "I meant what I said," Dr. Lee told him. "He's lucky he's not in the hospital. I'm concerned about his blood pressure and his overall well-being. He's exhausted, Danny, and very sick."

"I know. He's had a…rough month."

"This is his body forcing him to slow down. The antibiotics are going to help, but he's going to need old fashioned rest and fluids to kick this, and it may take a while. Strep throat is hard on adults, Danny, and can lead to all sorts of complications. He needs to take care of himself."

"I understand," Danny nodded. "I'll see to it that he follows your directions."

"Good," Dr. Lee said, patting Danny's shoulder.

Danny peeked in the exam room to find Steve fast asleep. He used that time to handle the insurance information and listen to Dr. Lee's explanation of all the prescriptions he'd called in to the pharmacy.

Half an hour later, Steve didn't even stir as Dr. Lee removed the IV from his arm.

"Hey," Danny shook his shoulder slightly. "Buddy, wake up for me, okay? We can go home now."

Steve slowly woke up, tiredly blinking at Danny and Dr. Lee.

"Alright, Steve. I want you to spend the weekend resting. I don't think you're going to feel like doing much other than that anyway. I want you either in the bed or on the couch, okay?"

Steve nodded.

"It's important. You _have_ to rest. You need lots of fluids. I know your throat is hurting horribly, but you have to keep drinking. I've told Danny about the medications I've prescribed and he's going to pick them up for you. You should start feeling better in a few days. If you don't, or if you begin to feel worse, don't hesitate to use the on-call service. They'll get in touch with me."

Steve nodded again before hoarsely thanking Dr. Lee. The doctor patted Steve on the knee as he left the exam room.

Steve blearily looked at Danny and Danny realized he wasn't really with it.

"Alright, let's get you home," Danny told him.

Steve sneezed harshly into his elbow and winced at the pain that went through his sinuses and throat. "Oh, God," he moaned, putting his head in his hands.

Danny felt sorry for him. "Come on, babe. I've got you." Danny helped him off the table and out to the car, saying thank you and goodbye to Teresa and Dr. Lee as they went.

* * *

Danny looked at his partner as they stopped at a red light. Steve was shivering. Not just a little bit either. Danny could hear his teeth chattering. He was pale and coughing and sniffling. He looked utterly miserable.

"Steve," Danny said softly. Steve opened his eyes. "We need to get your prescriptions and pick up a few things. Do you want to wait in the car or do you want to go home and I can go back out?"

"G-go h-home," he muttered as his body shook. "Need to l-lie d-down."

"Okay, babe."

* * *

What little strength Steve had was completely gone by the time they reached his home. Danny held most of his weight on the way into the house. The stairs were a struggle, but they finally made it to his bedroom where he collapsed gratefully onto the bed. Kicking off his flip flops, he snuggled down into the covers, sniffling. "Hey," Danny said. "No sleeping yet. You have to eat and drink something."

Steve made a face at the idea. "No."

"Sorry, but you have to at least drink a little." Danny handed Steve a bottle of Gatorade he'd snagged from the fridge.

Steve managed a few sips, grimacing with each swallow, before looking at Danny to see if he was appeased. "Throat hurts bad?"

"Like…swallowing…glass."

Danny frowned. "That sucks. I'm sorry." He put the lid back on the Gatorade. "Now get some sleep. I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks, Danno," Steve said, his eyes sliding shut. "You don't have to stay. 'M fine."

"Yeah, pretty sure you're not, babe. I don't mind."

"Don' have to," Steve mumbled. "Been 'lone a long time."

He was asleep before Danny could reply.

"Well," he said softly to the sleeping man. "You aren't alone now."

* * *

"Hey," Danny said when Chin answered the phone. "I need a favor."

"You name it, brah," Chin replied. He paused the movie they were watching and looked across to Kono. _Danny_ , he mouthed to her.

"I'm at Steve's. He's sick. Like, bad sick. Strep throat, upper respiratory infection, ear infection, dehydration, exhaustion…it's bad. The doc said he was lucky he wasn't in the hospital and he still might end up there if he doesn't take care of himself."

"Ah, man. I knew something seemed off with him."

"What? What's going on?" Kono asked.

Moving the phone away from his face, he answered Kono. "Steve's sick."

Chin returned to the phone call. "Kono's here too. Tell us how we can help him." Even though Danny couldn't see her, Kono couldn't help but nod in agreement. "I'm going to put you on speaker."

"We just got back from the doctor's office and I need to pick up the prescriptions they called in, but…I don't think he needs to be left alone right now. Could you guys pick them up and bring them by here?"

"Sure, brah. What else can we do?"

Danny sighed. "I'm not sure. He'd kill me if he heard me say it, but he's pretty pitiful right now."

"Pitiful?" Kono questioned. She wasn't sure she could put that word and her boss in the same sentence.

"He's…he's sicker than anybody I've seen in a long time. It hit him like a ton of bricks. I don't think being so tired and worn out is doing him any favors either."

"Probably not," Chin agreed. "I'll pick up some groceries and stuff before we head over. That way he can eat this weekend without having to do anything except warm up soup…he won't have to worry about cooking."

"Chin," Danny said quickly. "I'm not leaving. Not while he's like this. He almost can't function."

"Oh wow," Chin said, understanding. "Okay."

"We can stay too. Keep you guys company," Kono said. "It's not like we have anything to do or anybody to do it with anyway." She laughed good-naturedly.

"Alright," Chin said. "We'll pick up some things and see you soon, brah."

Chin and Kono arrived with medicine and groceries an hour later.

"He still sleeping?" Chin questioned.

"Yeah. The doc says that's the best thing for him. Says strep throat as an adult is awful."

"I bet so." He sat down in the living room with Danny. "Did he call you or did you just happen to show up?"

"I came over after I left Side Street. I don't think he would have called any of us, Chin. Even after I got here, he was still expecting to go to the doctor by himself." Danny shook his head. "He thinks he's all alone."

* * *

"Hey," Danny whispered. "Steve."

Steve inhaled sharply and opened his eyes. "Wha'?" he muttered, grimacing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up but it's time for your first round of meds. The doc wants you to start taking everything tonight, remember?"

Steve nodded tiredly. "Kay," he whispered.

"You have to eat something, too," Danny said hesitantly, knowing he was going to meet resistance.

"Can't," he croaked.

"Well, you have to. Those antibiotics will make you sick if you don't." Danny sighed. "Just some soup, okay?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Steve turned over and burrowed further down into the covers. "Can't."

"Alright, babe. Here's the deal: You haven't eaten anything all day. You haven't drank enough to amount to anything. You have to, okay? It doesn't have to be much. Just some broth. Then I'll let you go back to sleep, okay?"

"But I don't feel good," Steve whined. "And I don't wanna eat."

Apparently a sick McGarrett was a whiny McGarrett. Danny took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Okay," he muttered to himself. "Time for reinforcements."

"So here's the plan," Danny told Kono as he stirred a pot of soup . "You, rookie, are going to use all of your wily female charms—"

" _Wily female charms?_ " Kono questioned incredulously.

"Yes. As in, he won't tell you no. Or at least if he does tell you no, he'll tell you nicely. And he won't punch you."

Kono shrugged. "Guess you've got a point."

"Yes, yes, I do. Now, here's the plan. He's whiny and sick and miserable. He has to take this antibiotic and he needs to eat with it, but he isn't wanting to eat. You're going to get him to eat this soup, take the meds, and not throw up."

"Pretty sure I don't have control over that."

"You underestimate your wily female charms."

Their conversation was interrupted by a door slamming upstairs.

* * *

Steve woke up feeling worse than before. He hadn't thought that was even possible. The nausea he'd struggled with all day made itself known again, and he groaned. He dizzily headed to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him and making it just in time to throw up the meager amount of food he'd eaten that day. Tears sprang to his eyes at the pain it caused in his throat. He moaned softly, curling his knees to his chest and leaning against the wall.

"Steve?" Kono said quietly from the doorway. "Want some water?"

He reached for the bottle, took a tiny sip, winced, and closed his eyes again. He shuddered. "God, that was awful."

Kono looked at him sympathetically. "I bet so. You okay?"

"Pretty sure I'm dying," Steve stopped and looked at her in confusion. "Kono? Why are you in my house? And in my bathroom?"

Kono laughed softly. "Fair question, boss. Chin and I came over because Danny said you weren't feeling well and he was planning to stay. I'm in your bathroom because I heard you getting sick."

Steve still looked confused. "But why? Why are you all here?"

Kono smiled gently. They had figured this would be his reaction. "Because we care about you," Kono shrugged.

"You don't have to do that," he said.

Kono looked at him seriously. "Are you saying you wouldn't do it for me?"

"What?"

"If I was sick and living alone—which I do, and so do Chin and Danny—would you come over to be with me? Or would you just let me stay alone and fend for myself?"

Steve still looked confused. "What kind of question is that?"

"To prove a point, boss. You'd do it for us, we're doing it for you. End of discussion."

Steve coughed. He paled and swallowed hard. "I'm going to be sick again. Leave, please?"

"Steve, you wouldn't leave any of us if we were sick, and we're not leaving you."

She gently rubbed his back as he retched. "It's okay," she soothed. "It'll be over in a minute."

Finally finished, he dropped his head to his hands and moaned miserably, moving to lie down on the floor.

"Come here," Kono said, pulling him back and letting him lean against her. "You're burning up."

She smoothed a cool cloth over his face and helped him take a sip of water.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Don't even think about it, boss."

* * *

Kono was still holding Steve when Danny appeared in the doorway.

"Aw, babe," he said softly before walking in and kneeling beside his teammates.

"Come on," Danny put a hand on Steve's forehead. "You need to get back in bed and we need to get that fever down."

Steve looked at Danny, blinking sluggishly.

"You're not quite with me right now, are you?" he asked, knowing he wouldn't get an answer. "Alright, up you go." He looped his arms under Steve's and pulled him up.

"Whoa!" Danny said as Steve's knees buckled and he nearly slid to the floor. Kono quickly caught his other side as Steve's chin dropped to his chest.

"Ah, hell. He passed out."

With Chin's help, Danny and Kono got Steve back into bed.

"He's really sick, Danny," Kono said, placing another cool cloth on his forehead.

Danny nodded while he ran the thermometer across Steve's temple. "103.6. Damn. I'm going to call Dr. Lee."

Steve sniffled and coughed as he started to come around, tossing his head feverishly back and forth on the pillow.

"Hey, there," Kono said as he opened his eyes. He tried to swallow and put his hand to his throat as he winced and moaned softly.

He looked at Kono in confusion as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"You're sick and you're running a fever," she told him. "But you just rest. Let us take care of you, okay?"

Steve gave a half-nod, feeling too bad to argue with Kono.

"This…strep…is kicking my ass."

"Yes, it is," Kono agreed. "Danny's on the phone now with Dr. Lee to see what we need to do."

"Had it…before. Don' know why…it's…so bad this time." He frowned.

Kono rubbed his arm. "It's because you're exhausted, boss," she told him quietly. "You've had a really hard time lately. You've got to let us help carry that load. At least talk to us, let us in. That's what ohana is for."

* * *

Steve's sleep that night was fitful at best. He tossed and turned, moaning and mumbling in his sleep. The rest of the team took turns watching over their leader and friend, helping him with sips of water each time he woke, held him as he shivered, made sure he had extra blankets, tissues, and anything else he needed.

When Danny and Chin woke up the next morning, they found Kono leaning against Steve's headboard. Her legs were stretched out on the bed and his head was on a pillow in her lap. She was playing in his hair and talking softly to him about mindless, random things. He was having trouble sleeping. His throat was killing him and he was achy and feverish. Chin and Danny stood at the door for a few minutes until Kono realized they were there, smiled, and motioned them in.

"How are you?" Chin asked.

"Still feeling bad," Steve answered honestly.

"The antibiotics should kick in by tomorrow I think, so hopefully you only have one more day or so of feeling this bad," Danny said. "Speaking of, you need to take your next dose soon so you need to eat. What do you think would be okay for both your stomach and your throat?"

"I don't know." Steve made a face. "I really don't want anything right now."

"Okay, look," Kono said. "You're sick. Rules don't apply no matter what time it is. Do you think you could eat orange sherbet? I picked some up when we were at the grocery store yesterday. It'll be cold on your throat. It's not like ice cream, so even though you're still feverish it shouldn't make you sick."

Steve considered it, then nodded. Kono told Chin that she and Steve were comfy and not moving, so he went downstairs to retrieve the sherbet. He made an executive decision for breakfast and returned with bowls for everyone. No one complained.

As they sat eating on Steve's bed, he looked around and felt a mushy sense of love and companionship for this team he'd put together. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "I really do appreciate everything you guys have done for me."

"I told you before, it's nothing you wouldn't do for us," Kono said. "That's what family is for. Right, guys?"

Danny and Chin both nodded and smiled.

Steve's eyes were a bit misty, but he nodded and smiled. "Okay. It's just…I…haven't had a family in a long time."

"Well, you do now," Kono smiled, hugging him tight. "Don't forget it."


End file.
